Labels can be misleading
As society evolves and capitalism grows, so too does the demand for new products. In countries like Canada, there aren’t any laws that require companies to test on animals, but some countries still uphold these laws. Even though science is creating new, cruelty-free ways to test products for human use, the controversy surrounding whether or not these products should be tested on animals is growing as well.One of the best ways to help stop animal testing is to stop supporting the companies that endorse it.
When companies conduct experiments and test products on animals, they often don’t come out alive. Many of the experiments force rabbits to inhale gases, have their organs removed, or place them in purposefully terrifying situations. They’re sometimes medicated so that they’re kept awake, yet immobile, or put in long-term isolation from other living beings.
The best way to be sure that your product is cruelty-free is to buy from vegan companies. Of course, on a student budget, this can be pretty tricky. Most of the time, the more organic a product is, the more expensive it is. Most cruelty-free products will have the Leaping Bunny logo, which denotes that the entire company is against animal testing at every step of production.
One other almost guaranteed way to buy cruelty-free products is to avoid purchasing makeup that was made in China. In China, it is literally illegal not to test on animals. They can’t even sell foreign products that are cruelty-free. So when checking the logo, make sure you also check for the country of origin.A good rule to follow in general is that usually if a product doesn’t address animal testing in bold letters on the label then they have something to hide.But be warned: companies know that many of us are uncomfortable with buying shampoo that was poured into the eyes of a rabbit. A lot of companies will try to use loopholes or deceptive labels to get away with testing their products on animals. Usually this comes in the form of something like “the finished product was not tested on animals,” or they’ll buy their supplies from a third party that uses animal experimentation. If you are the kind of person that doesn’t like using products that support animal abuse then make sure you do your research before purchasing.
Photo courtesy of Cruelty Free International